Golf club



Patented May 15, 1928.

UNITED stars-s STANLEY e. MILLER, or nvnns'ron, r rnois.

eons CLUB.

Application filed August 1,-

This invention relates to improvements in golf clubs and it consists in the matter hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaim's.

The primary object of the invention 1S t0 provide an improved club for use in driving a golf ball and. which shall not only increase the driving distance but shall also eliminate or reduce to a minimum the tendency to .slice or hook? the driven ball.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a club for driving a golf ball which shall have means on the bottom face or sole of its head to engage the turf during a part of the swing ofthe club, so that saidJhead will be guided. in the direction of intended. flight of the, ball and will follow the same a short distance with the result that the ball is driven true and straight andhas. imparted thereto a spin that increases the rolling action thereofupon landing from its flight.

These objects ofthe invention aswe'll. as othersptogether with the many advantages thereof, will more f ully appear as I proceed with'my specification. t

In the drawing: I

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of the headend of a golf club embodying the preferred. form of my invention and positioned adjacent the ball to be driven. I

F 2 is-a vertica'lfcross section through thesame as taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the club as taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. I} is a perspective view of the head end of a golf club embodying my invention, the sole thereof being exposed to view.

Fig. 5 is a bottom face view of a modified form of my invention and i Fig. 6 is a sectional view substantially along the line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

The invention is herein illustrated and described as being embodied in that type of club known as a driver but as will be apparentit is also applicable for use in other driving clubs such as brassies and spoons and the like, so that the same is to be considered as illustrative of the invention only and not by way of limitation.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated inFigs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates as a whole that type of golf club known as a driver, and which includes the usual shaft 2 and head 3 having a fiat vertical driving face 4. On the bottom surface 1927. Serial no. 210,060.

ing the desired'guiding influence to the'head by'reason of. its engagement with the turf,

is not so deep as to impede the movement ofthe club unduly. That end of said rib adjacent the driving face of the head is beveled or rounded off as at 6' so as'to avoid an abrupt end. which'would tenol'to brake the action of the head in thes'wing of'the' club and which of course would materially reduce the drive. This rib or keel may beformed as an integral'part of thehead but I, find another convenient way-is to form said rib on a metallic plate 7 bottom face of, the head as'by means of-the screws 88. 'In making a drive with my improved club, and with the ball resting upon the turf,

the ordinary driving swingis such as to bring the driving "or-impact face into contactiwith the ban. At, about the time the head engages the turflin line with the'ball.

the'rib or keelenters the turfand guidestl ie which is fixed to] the head. in the plane-of'the intended drive or flight of the ball so that the headfollows the ball a short distance along theline'. As a resultofth-is guidingactioii along the line no'partofthe drivihg "force is lost"with respect to the ball. The ball moves in a remarkably straight line of flight without hook or slice.

It is apparent that the rib or keel guides the club during the critical part of the swing in the direction of intended flight, so that the disastrous effects of undesired slicing and hooking are avoided and along straight drive secured.

Another very important advantage of my golf club is that it increases the length of the drive by imparting an overspin to the ball. The reason for this I am convinced is that as the center rib or keel engages the turf it causes the front face of the club to tilt slightly so that the ball is hit somewhat above center or at least sufficiently high to impart overspin. While this rib construction is elfectiveto tilt the driving face of the club to the end that overspin may be imparted to the ball it also acts to limit the movement of the club into the turf so that ing the impact period. Hence, my club induces directional accuracy and imparts overs in.

PIn the modification shown in Figs. and 6, 2 is the shaft and 3 the head and l the driving face. On the bottom face or sole of the club head I providea rib, keel or projection which in this instance is composed of two portions 5 and 5. i As viewed in bottom plan the portiono' is relatively narrow while the portion 5 flares toward the rear,

i. e, is wider toward the rear than it is at uniform thickness but becomes the front. As viewed in vertical sectionthe bottom of the portiono is below, but substantially parallel to the sole or bottom-face of the cluhwhereas the portion, 5"is not of progressively thicker toward the rear. i i

In this construction the front or relatively narrowportion ofthe projection firstengages the turf as the swing progresses the rearward, flaring portion gradually is brought into contact with the turf. As a result the club is directed definitely along the line of intended flight. The enlarged rear portion of the projection offers suilicient resistance to movement of the club acrossthe line of intended flight to prevent hooking and slicing.

angularity of the impact face of the, club so that greater overspin is imparted to the ball. Hence the construction induces directional accuracy and increases thejlength of the drive relative to the speed of the club head at the time of impact. a i

YVhile in describing my invention I have referred to the form and arrangement of the parts thereof in detail I do not wish tobe At the same time this thickened rear facevis effective toincrease the cant or limited thereto exceptas maybe pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A driverand'the like embodying thereg adriving head having a substantially fiat sole and a turf engaging portion projecting from the bottom thereof, which turf engaging portion is centrally disposed on the head and is arranged at approximately a right angle to the face of the head 1111(118 of a greater depth at the rear than at the front.

2. A driver and the like embodying there-i in a driving head having a substantiallyfiat sole and a turf engaging portionprojecting from the bottom thereonwvhich turf engag- 1ng portion is centrally disposed on the head and 1s arranged at approximately a right angle to the face of the head'and is Wider at p I the rear than at the front.

A driver and the like embodying therein a drivinghead having a substantially flat sole and a turf engaging portion projecting from the bottom thereof, which turf engaging portion is centrally disposed on the head and-is arranged at approximately a right angleto the face of the head and of agreater depth and greater width at the rear 

